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Archive for the ‘Lessons Learned’ Category

Lesson 234 Big Data. Simple Words.

Posted in Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on September 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

“I would have written a shorter letter but I did not have the time.”  This is an often quoted phrase that contains a large measure of truth. Both research and experience strongly suggest that successful communication requires that complex issues be reduced to only a few major points. And this takes deep thought and great care to accomplish.

But this insight coincides with the latest internet rage… the concept of “big data.” Today’s technology enables the processing of volumes of data more rapidly and efficiently than ever before. This big data, it is argued, will enable more efficient problem-solving than ever before. Some see it as the breakthrough that can revolutionize our understanding of most everything.

It certainly is a wonderful breakthrough for marketers who want to know more about us. And it can load communicators with a depth of information they never before had. But the challenge will be to reduce that big data to understandable simple language. Otherwise this deluge of data and metrics will prove counterproductive to understanding.

Many of us have been through complex strategic and communication planning exercises where countless people spent countless hours making plans detailing objectives, tactics, and who does what by when. But such plans ended up on shelves because the press of daily events required a more simple and practical approach. The more data we had to deal with, the less likely those plans would get implemented.

More than ever, in these big data times we need to take the time and care to write those shorter letters, make more simple plans, and use more carefully crafted and simple message points.

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Lesson 233 Strategic Communication and Leadership

Posted in Higher Education, International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on September 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Weeks ago I mentioned here that I was writing another book about how those involved in advancing institutions will need to help prepare their constituents for dramatic change. As I was developing my ideas about changing government roles, the influence of technology, and internationalization, I found myself also taking a fresh look at the role leadership plays in effective strategic communication.

I urged that professionals in this field should be fine tuning their own leadership talents because they will need to use them to find support for what they can do, as well as to take advantage of the new opportunities that change can bring. But I also came to see even more clearly that the behavior of chief executives can make all the difference in the results:

1. CEO behaviors become a symbol of an institution’s brand identity. CEO words and actions both model and protect it. But they can weaken it as well.

2. Listening to constituents is an important overall CEO characteristic… but a firm and timely response is even more important when addressing urgent issues and crises.

3. The visual presence of the CEO in urgent situations is simply expected.

CEO’s certainly are entitled to their recreational activities, vacations, and to attend unrelated events. This applies to presidents of institutions… and countries. In fact, photo opportunities at the right time can humanize the person and the office.

But timing in a threatening situation is everything. People demand to see that their leader is present and in charge. And how the CEO behaves becomes a symbol of either a strong institution, or of one that is uncertain and vulnerable.

 

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Lesson 232 Polarizing the Opposition

Posted in International, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy on August 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

One of today’s most vicious and destructive political communication tactics is the practice of defining the opposition in more extreme terms than it warrants… and then demonizing its intentions.

On weekends I often watch Book-TV. I recently watched and listened to an angry young author define the president of the United States and his entire administration as criminals, and that they all should be put in jail. He then went on with even more vicious and angry charges. And then he followed those by generalizing his charges to include “all liberals,” each minute struggling to intensify the anger in his rhetoric.

Freedom of speech in our country insures his right to speak. And I defend his right to do so. But the tone and anger in his approach destroyed any possibility of finding any way to heal this already seriously divided country.

I have no political agenda. I write solely from a communication dynamic perspective. Politically I have come to think of myself  as a pragmatic independent who is desperately seeking solutions to this destructive polarization.

There are constructive approaches he could have used. There are words he could have chosen to harshly criticize the administration, but do it more constructively. There is a tone he could have used that would have enabled helpful conversations. Debate can be healthy. Uncompromising angry debate is not.

When extremists leave no room for holding a country together, their logic leads to collapse. This has been the consequence of a thousand years of extreme and vicious tribal conflict in the Middle East, and to follow their logic is to head down the same road.

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Lesson 231 News in an Age of Imagery

Posted in Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Much of what is reported about the world today is influenced, and many times actually shaped, by the compelling appeal of cameras and images. And more and more people every day get all of their news from the Internet, which is loaded with dramatic and abbreviated visual accounts of complex events.

Even the “look” of newspapers has changed because of the compelling power of television and other visual imagery. Large dramatic pictures and links to fast-paced video clips are appearing on or near front pages. And this has led to abbreviated and more dramatic styles of writing.

But when news is driven so consistently by imagery, how much can come through as straight reporting? Stop and think about it. When a camera frames a scene, nothing outside that frame exists to the audience. Close-ups direct attention to what the producer/reporter wants audiences to see, not what they might look around and see if they were there. Editing adds drama. Cameras follow or “track” events as they unfold,  adding more drama. And creating “montages” out of selected separate images produces a truly unique, “cinema only” reality.

Films and videos always give people the feeling that they “saw it with their own eyes,” and therefore it must be true. But a small riot often looks like an entire city is coming apart. And neighborhood  disturbances can look like an entire country is in revolt. News events become a producer’s  cinematic version of the situation, and often will not convey events as their audiences would see them. It is not uncommon for people to report that a video story they saw about an event they actually attended did not accurately depict that event at all!

Endless daily dramatic imagery edited to compete for attention can lead to confusion and even misunderstanding. Thus, in today’s digital world people must first become their own editors, and then take all these cinematic influences into account as they strive to understand what’s really going on.

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Lesson 230 No Easy Answers

Posted in International, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This week I have been at Chautauqua in upstate New York listening to speakers on the state of foreign affairs. Different parts of the world were discussed, but one theme emerged loud and clear: The current hostilities, from Ukraine to Gaza to Iraq, are the result of a thousand years of conflict between rival groups… and there will be no quick solutions.

In past blogs I have argued that the problem we face understanding each day’s events is that we lack knowing their “contexts.” This is especially true in our 24/7 breaking news world. The more complex the situations the more we need to know their context in order to fully understand them. And so daily statements from the White House (or anywhere else) offer little insight into what is really going on.

I wish everyone could spend at least a week every year at a place like Chautauqua. Providing context for complex problems and issues is what this place does best.

Imagine a small village with an extremely diverse population where everyone was interested in ideas. Each week during the summer a different theme is examined, and gaining a broad understanding of the history and background of that theme is generally what happens by week’s end.

And Chautauqua also surrounds this experience with enrichment for the whole family. There are concerts, theatre performances, films, short courses, and special interest events. There are recreation facilities and programs, including plenty of activities for children and teenagers. And many religious faiths also provide programming and housing for those who want them. You can do all of this… or as little as you wish.

So at this week’s end here are my foreign affairs conclusions: Little insight can come from “official” government statements about  each day’s events in the Middle East or Ukraine. These problems are hopelessly rooted in ancient history and won’t go away soon. Periodic U.S. interventions are not likely to solve much of anything either. So explaining these hard lessons of history might be the better approach, along with repeated reminders of what America really stands for.

Oh, and we must also try our best to avoid making things worse!

 

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Lesson 229 Staying on Message

Posted in International, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

“Herding” is what many critics call the tendency of the international news media to rush to the next big crisis… each one seeking a competitive advantage. One day Iraq is the big story, and the next day the gang moves to Cairo. Then a big story breaks in Ukraine, only to be trumped by a horrible crisis in Israel and Gaza.

In the meantime, chaos continues in Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Syria, parts of Africa, and more. And what about Iran and Turkey? Each one is a separate story with distinct characteristics. As the news media struggles to explain what is happening in each place, the result for most consumers is total confusion. And as  governments struggle to deal with each separate situation, the result is the impression that most are inept at handling anything.

An interview with a Libyan government official this week reminded me that while it is natural to get bogged down in the details of each event, there is an important central message that is getting lost. He said Libya desperately needs the world’s help to rebuild essential institutions and to defeat disrupting extremists.

As I listened I was reminded that there is a central message of justice, opportunity, freedom, and democratic process that has gotten lost in the details of chaos. And that staying on this message  relentlessly every day might have turned that message into a truly self-fulfilling prophesy. Experience has taught me that this can be the potential power of well-orchestrated strategic communication.

Lesson learned: Too many detailed messages turn to clutter. Staying on central messages can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.

And for the USA:  Daily responses to crises have resulted in clutter and negative impressions. Simply explaining the idea of America always produces positive outcomes.

 

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Lesson 228 Leadership and “Presence”

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

When must a leader be present to lead?  And what actually constitutes “presence” in this age of digital technology?

President Obama has been criticized for appearing at so many fund-raising events around the country when there are multiple crises that need to be addressed. His defenders explain that with the technology on his airplane, and his advisors around him, he is on top of world events no matter where he goes.

But even in this age of imagery does “take charge” leadership really work that way?  I suggest that in many circumstances it does not.

My experience over the years would argue that there are many crisis situations where it is essential for a leader to be physically “seen” as present, engaged and performing as the leader. Technology can maintain connections very efficiently between critical meetings, but nothing substitutes for “showing up and taking charge.” In the case of presidential leadership, it might also mean that when he is not attending a critical meeting he should be seen as physically present in his established command post directing operations.

Exceptions would be largely ceremonial events where a representative clearly is an adequate symbol of a country’s or institution’s presence. Or when the top person has a clearly more important event that conflicts with this one.  Or when an adversary has orchestrated a “photo-op” style event designed to put this leader on the defensive  Even in this situation, however, it might be possible to still show up and strategically take charge, or to create another similar event where taking charge is designed into the situation. For example, when the Texas governor tried to get the president to go to the U.S. Mexico border with him, the president might have declined based on schedule, but then travel there later with his own “take charge” agenda.

Attending fund-raisers and playing golf in times of crisis makes too much potentially negative news, no matter the justification. Incessant daily questions and criticisms begin to sound credible, and repeated explanations appear defensive. They make leaders of both countries and organizations sound and look weak… and even out of touch.

Even in these times of instant digital technology, actually showing up and visibly taking charge is essential when institutions and worlds seem to be coming apart.

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Lesson 227 Taking Charge in a Crisis

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning, Strategic Communication on July 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As I wrote about crisis communication over the years I found myself saying early on that you must “look like you know what you are doing.” I did not mean this superficially. Rather, I meant it as an observation about how difficult it is to look confident and sound completely informed when all hell is breaking loose around you. This certainly has been a big challenge for the U.S president. And the 24/7 breaking news environment has not been forgiving.

White House responses this week to crises in the Middle East and Ukraine had me once again reviewing my crisis management “lessons learned.” Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Timing is everything. Getting all the facts together under media deadline pressure is more difficult than it looks. But speaking out too late can also allow someone else to seize the moment and put you on the defensive. There are no set rules here to follow. Experience certainly helps. But an overall predisposition to lengthy analysis can be a liability and make you look tentative.

2. Achieve a balance between looking confident and being willing to listen. Make an early statement to establish visible leadership.  Then quickly prepare a plan to take charge of the total situation. Tell them what you know. And then tell them how you will quickly find out what you don’t. Never announce an action that you don’t take.

3. Avoid direct confrontation. Confrontation allows your adversary to take the higher ground and put you on the defensive. Once there, it’s a difficult position to change. Establish your own solid ground by concentrating on making your positive and compressive plan of action look more thorough and credible.

4. Try to anticipate crises.  If it’s possible to anticipate a crisis long before it occurs you may be able to inoculate the situation by putting the matter on the public agenda yourself.  This is called issues management, a practice that includes producing a set of initiatives to systematically manage the situation before it is a problem.

5. Clearly list the other side’s errors. But be careful. After you have taken charge, presenting a concise list of the other side’s flaws can work. But avoid negative rants, and focus on facts. Attacking too soon and too often will make you look too defensive. Remember that over time some of your attacks may lose credibility with the public.

The U.S. president has the reputation of taking his time to analyze each difficult situation before deciding what to do.  While his inclination to be thorough is laudatory, he also has a tendency to wait too long to take charge. And even then, his announcements can sound more like a confrontation than a game plan for taking charge of the total situation.

In the final analysis, success depends on making good judgements about timing and substance. This is a talent that is fine-tuned with practice and experience. The communication dimensions of leadership are many, and the sophistication required for success is too often underestimated.

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Lesson 226 Warning: Rough Seas Ahead!

Posted in Higher Education, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on July 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Each year the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s Summit for Leaders in Institutional Advancement focuses on the big issues facing education… most especially higher education. This week much of the CASE Summit addressed the coming changes that will likely transform the entire industry.

General sessions featured panels of university presidents, association CEO’s, professors, advancement professionals, as well as a corporation head, a digital media executive, a journalist, and a department of education administrator. Collectively they explored what the future might look like for education.

In a nutshell, they reviewed the consequences of universal government cutbacks, a revolution in digital technology, and rapid globalization… all happening simultaneously. The bottom line: Everything changes, from curricula and teaching methods to how money is raised and where students go to learn.

Education advancement areas include fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, communication, government relations, and sometimes enrollment management and student affairs. Many of the changes that will both threaten institutions and provide exciting opportunities are in these areas. Underlying all of the Summit’s discussions were these questions: What should advancement professionals do to prepare their institutions and constituents for these changes? What opportunities will they have to lead the way? And what should they do to prepare themselves?

As mentioned in a previous post I am writing a book that addresses these issues and questions. It is scheduled for release at next year’s CASE Summit. Between now and then I will be reporting here on my progress.

 

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Lesson 225 It’s Equally About the Content

Posted in Higher Education, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on July 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Much of my recent work has been around the theme: “How media revolutions change everything!” I have been revisiting Marshall McLuhan’s assertion that “the medium is the message,” the idea that the appearance of a new dominant medium changes how everything functions in significant ways.

The implication here is that this ability of a dominant medium to force dramatic psychic and social changes is a more powerful message than its’ content. My experience suggests that this is initially true. But I also think that eventually the status of that medium’s content can also become a real matter of concern.

In today’s digital world the issue now is how to deal with an overwhelming hourly stream of fragmented information which produces clutter and confusion with little or no context for understanding.

For example, in my industry of higher education, a major transition is underway driven by government cut-backs and complicated by the economic forces of globalization. 24/7 media report “breaking news”headlines of student loan problems, rapidly increasing tuition and fees, sexual misconduct, executive salaries, and much more. But there is little or no context for understanding the complexity of the problems and the efforts being made to solve them.

The truth is… finding ways to provide context in today’s digital world will have to fall to those in strategic communication and institutional marketing. While these professionals use the same digital media tools, they can use a variety of them simultaneously… including more content-friendly publications and magazines, executive speeches, and face-to-face meetings and events. Media campaigns can be developed that identify priority issues, and then use broader briefing points and  multiple media platforms. The reality is that if strategic communicators don’t make this happen, who will?

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is holding its’ Annual Summit for Leaders in Advancement in New York.  CASE is the largest institution-based education association in the world. The basic purpose of the Summit is to focus on the content issues that all professionals advancing institutions should be addressing with their constituents.

The bottom line is that media revolutions do change people and institutions. As for education, the coming sea-change is a game-changer, and everyone in advancement must take responsibility to make sure their institution is prepared. Now is the time to add context and content.

 

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